Tag Archives: Jeurys Familia

If there’s one date in which the Mets’ season went into the toilet it is April 30 when Noah Syndergaard tore his right lat muscle in a game at Washington.

Syndergaard threw in the bullpen for the first time since, throwing 20 pitches Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. There will be at least two other bullpens, then batting practice before getting a rehab assignment. It is quite possible the minor league season will be over before Syndergaard gets the opportunity to throw in a rehab game.

Syndergaard will still lift weights in the offseason, but said he plans to incorporate more flexibility exercises.

“I’m still going to lift heavy and be strong,’’ Syndergaard recently told reporters. “We’re still professional athletes here. We’ve still got to be strong and durable. I’m just going to be more smart about it. … I expect to be the same guy in terms of velocity.’’

LUGO TO DL; GSELLMAN STARTS: Seth Lugo is back on the disabled list with a partially torn elbow ligament and shoulder impingement. He will be replaced tonight by Robert Gsellman, who has been on the DL since June 28 with a strained left hamstring.

The Mets believe Lugo hurt his shoulder compensating for his elbow.

“That always concerns me that you’ve changed your delivery to compensate if you’ve got a bad elbow, and then all of a sudden your shoulder [hurts],’’ Collins said. “And I know one thing, I don’t like to hear shoulder problems. Those scare me more than anything.’’

Lugo was 5-3 with a 4.85 ERA in 11 starts and one relief appearance, but 0-1 with a 7.31 ERA in his last three appearances. Lugo believes his elbow is fine, and that surgery isn’t an option for either his shoulder or elbow.

“The doctors said this is an inoperable situation,’’ Lugo said. “Rest is just going to make it better. Surgery’s not even a thought.’’

ABOUT TIME: The Mets requested unconditional release waivers on reliever Fernando Salas, who has a 6.00 ERA in 48 appearances this season. Salas was designated for assignment last week, and barring the unlikely scenario at team claims him, the Mets will be on the hook for the balance of his $3 million salary.

The Mets should also DFA Hansel Robles, who doesn’t fit into their plans for 2018.

Unless Curtis Granderson is traded, don’t expect to see Snider until the rosters are expanded Sept. 1.

PITCHING REHABS: Closer Jeurys Familia will make his first rehab appearance today. He is recovering from arterial surgery, May 12, to remove a blood clot in his right shoulder. … Matt Harvey will make his second rehab start today for Class A Brooklyn.

The last time the Mets nearly traded an infielder to Milwaukee produced the iconic snapshot of Wilmer Flores crying at his shortstop position. There was no such image tonight with the breaking news the Mets had traded Neil Walker to the Brewers for a player to be named later.

Tonight’s optic was a video of Walker leaving the Mets’ clubhouse in a golf cart, presumably to the team hotel to pack before flying to Milwaukee to join a pennant race.

WALKER: Another good one is gone. (AP)

By the time the Mets lost to the Phillies, 3-1, the deal had not yet been announced.

Despite playing with significant injuries – and undergoing back surgery last offseason – Walker was a consummate professional, just as Jay Bruce was, and exceeded his run production expectations since acquiring him after the 2015 season from Pittsburgh.

Walker, acquired when the Mets didn’t re-sign Daniel Murphyafter his historic 2015 postseason, hit 23 homers last year in an injury-shortened 2016. After not drawing interest in the free-agent market, Walker signed a $17.2-million qualifying offer last winter.

At one point this season the Mets said they’d consider bringing back Walker, but such talk quickly died on the vine as their season slipped away.

With a glut of infielders, there was no way the Mets would bring him back, and since players-to-be-named are mostly bottom-tier prospects at best, this was nothing more than a salary dump, even with them picking up a portion of the remaining $4.7 million left on Walker’s contract.

The Mets were close to trading Walker to the Yankees at the July 31 deadline, but the latter backed out reportedly concerned with his medical records. In addition to his back surgery in the winter, Walker missed six weeks this season with a hamstring injury.

This has to be an excruciatingly frustrating time for Mets closer Addison Reed. He’s a Met today, but could be a Dodger, or a Brewer, or a Diamondback, or on a half-dozen other teams tomorrow or Monday.

The Mets’ acquisition of A.J. Ramos from Miami on Friday, practically assures they will deal Reed by Monday’s deadline. If they don’t, he’ll be a free agent this winter because there’s no way the Mets will bring him back – at over $7 million – and Ramos – at over $6 million – to work out of the same bullpen with Jeurys Familia (over $7 million).

Those three, along with Jerry Blevins, would give the Mets a formidable bullpen, but we know they won’t spend that kind of money. So, Reed just bides his time waiting for his cell phone to ring.

What the Mets hope to do is swap Reed for a couple of prospects to make up for the two minor leaguers they traded to Miami for Ramos, just to get an extra year of reliever coverage for $1 million cheaper.

“As far as I know, I’m still here,’’ Reed told reporters in Seattle. “So, I’m going to keep pitching. Whenever the phone rings and they call my name, I’m going to be ready to go.’’

With Ramos expected to join the Mets in time for Sunday’s game, you can count on Reed not pitching Sunday as to not risk injury which would short-circuit any deal.

In replacing Familia, Reed has been superb this season with 19 saves in 21 opportunities with a 2.57 ERA.

Do you want the truth from me about the Mets, or should I tell you what I think of them through blue-and-orange glasses? I’m guessing you want the truth because that’s all I’ve given you on this site.

I hope I am wrong and the Mets do something heroic, but even if Jacob deGrom beats the Nationals tonight, I think this over.

DE GROM: Can’t help Mets now. (AP)

Just when they take a step forward, like trim a 12.5-game deficit down to 8.5, they stub their toe. They not only failed to sweep the Phillies but got clobbered in the final game. Curtis Granderson hit a game-tying homer with two strikes and two down in the ninth, which is the stuff great pennant runs are made of.

But, they lost that game and were routed yesterday to fall back to 11.5 games behind.

They can’t beat the Nationals, Dodgers or Diamondbacks, and I don’t like their chances against St. Louis and Colorado.

There is too much going on with the Mets that doesn’t encourage a miraculous comeback. Their pitchers walk too many hitters and the bullpen is among the game’s worst. Their offense is all-or-nothing with the home runs. Hitting in the clutch? Uh, no.

Quite simply, the Mets need to pick up at least six games by the end of the month to have any chance of making it a race giving them two options: 1) maintain the illusion and keep the status quo, or 2) back up the truck and have a fire sale.

Whatever they do, I’ll keep watching and imagine you will, also, because that’s what we do.

One of the more puzzling aspects of the Mets has been the regression of Robert Gsellman. The Mets might not have made the playoffs last season if not for Gsellman. He hasn’t pitched well this year and left tonight’s game after three innings with a hamstring injury.

“It’s a hamstring, so it will be a little while,’’ manager Terry Collins said when asked about how long Gsellman might be out.

GSELLMAN: Has strained hammy. (AP)

Gsellman, who entered the game having given up 15 runs in his previous two starts, gave up three runs in the first inning and was replaced by Paul Sewald, who pitched three scoreless innings in relief. Sewald, of course, won’t be available Wednesday night.